This invention relates to a method for producing printed matter using a flexographic printing form as well as to an attachment means for attaching a flexographic printing form or other printing type, particularly a printing form of photopolymeric material, on a plate cylinder or similar printing type carrier of a printing machine.
In known methods of this type a strip of double-sided adhesive tape is applied to a roll, attached with the one adherent side on the plate cylinder so that on the other adherent side one or more flexographic printing forms can be attached. The flexographic printing form itself consist of a photopolymeric layer applied to a supporting layer. Through a film, on which the desired pictures and/or text etc. have been recorded, the photopolymeric layer is exposed and then washed out, whereafter finally the resulting printing form is subjected to a subsequent treatment. In case of using the known method the problem arises that the supporting layer of the printing form adheres strongly to the adherent layer of the attachment means, due to which removal of the printing form after finishing a printing run is troublesome and moreover a residual part of the adherent layer often remains on the printing form. Consequently the attachment means generally has to be replaced after use one or more times, whereas on the other hand the printing form has to be cleansed in order to remove the adherent layer. Because the cleansing operation of the printing form is intensive the printing form is commonly thrown away. Thus in case of a repeat order for further printed matter of the same type a new printing form has to be produced and used for further printing.